TNAG-2798-FCO40-4038-Hong-Kong-six-monthly-meetings-of-foreign-ministers-1993 — Page 64

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consider that neither of these points outweighs the case for a meeting with Qian. We believe that the Secretary of State should also touch briefly on JLG issues, and the airport (we will be making public in Hong Kong on 21 May our latest proposal to the Chinese side for

resolving the financial dispute).

6.

On the bilateral front, we would anticipate a brief review of UK-China relations including both trade

and human rights issues. Particular priorities on the

agenda of international topics would be

non-proliferation issues including North Korea and

missile sales. Other topics could include Cambodia,

Vietnam and Bosnia.

7.

Our Embassy in Peking have pointed out that

there remains a question-mark over Qian's attendance at

the New York meeting since the Chinese are not keen on

the proposal to hold such a meeting and Qian himself may be tied up with a visit by the Portuguese Foreign

Minister. I do not think that this need deter us from

sounding them out about a meeting with the Secretary of

State. Qian may well conclude that he should attend the

UN meeting once it is clear that it is going to happen,

particularly if there is a chance for bilaterals in the

margins. We are however urgently checking exactly what

his commitments are to the Portuguese visit.

8.

On logistics, I understand that there is

unlikely to be time for a bilateral with Qian in the

course of 21 May. Given the Secretary of State's wish

to return to the UK that night, I suggest that the best

way of fitting in a Qian bilateral would be to leave for

New York on Concorde at 1900 on 20 May (arriving 1750)

and to helicopter in to Manhattan in time for a

CONFIDENTIAL